Settle
by TheMightyZan
Summary: She's not Celia.


**I have no idea why I wrote this. I have been playing this game again for the first time in like 8 years, and it just kinda popped in my head because I love how shy Marlin is.**

**Either way, I hope you enjoy!  
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"I'm not her."

The man beside her stopped, his head tilting around and down to look to where she stood behind him.

"Not her?"

She gave a nod of her head, hands gripping in front of her stomach, and made herself look him in the eye. "I'm not Celia."

The ever present scowl that knotted his brow deepened and he turned to look at her more fully. "What are you talking about?"

She pointed to the feather that was dangling loosely from his fingers, where it had been since she had shown it to him at his sister's farm and he had told her to hold on then grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the river. "I want you to have that. I know how I feel…. But…" She gave a shrug, and folded her arms over her chest in a protective gesture.

He blinked at her, blue eyes still narrowed. "What does Celia have to do with this?"

She rolled her eyes, and bit back the rather self-deprecating laugh that bubbled up from her throat. "Half the time I spend with you is talking about her and your pinning. I just don't want you to decide five or ten years from now that you would have been happier with her. I don't want to be what you settle for."

"Settle." He took a step toward her, pushing the bright blue feather he was still holding into his pocket. "You think being with you would be settling?"

She gave a small shrug and found herself deeply interested in the row of rushes that grew along the side of the river. When his chest came into her view she finally focused back on his weather worn face.

"In the year I have known you I don't think I actually thought you had any interest in me, besides as a friend, until you showed up at the farm 15 minutes ago with this." He made a vague gesture to his pocket, and reached out his hands to lightly grip her elbows. "I talked to you about Celia because I didn't think I had a chance with you, and so I started looking towards her." He gave a shake of his head, and his hands tightened a fraction. "She would be the settling… not you."

She was beaming up at him by the time he finished, his face flushed and his eyes focusing on her forehead, uncomfortable as usual with any talk of emotion. She uncrossed her arms, and moved to grip his hands when they fell away from her. "How could I not want someone who blushes every time he talks to me?"

The flush deepened at her words, and he rolled his shoulders uncomfortably, even as he returned the grip of her hands. "I'm too old for you, and I'm sick, and I can't be the helper…" She cut him off with a kiss. It wasn't the one she had been imagining, one where he swept her into his arms, and made her swoon just as the sun set over the mountains. No, it was rushed, and both their lips were too dry, and she missed half his mouth on the first go, and he jerked back, causing her to tumble forward. No, it was anything but romantic, but it made them both laugh, and it got his arms around her to stop her fall.

He smiled at her, his usually pinched face smoothing and causing her insides to stumble over themselves.

She loved his smile.

He tightened his arms around her, and leaned down to kiss her again, only slightly bumping her nose in the decent. Despite that, it was sweet, and caused her toes to curl, and her fingers to bunch into the fabric of his shirt. He smelled like dirt and carrots and sweat, and she felt like she could drink it in and never get enough of him.

When he pulled back they smiled foolishly at each other. Finally, he took a step back from her, his hands moving back down to hers. "So, you are sure you want me to have the feather? Not Rock or someone else?"

She rolled her eyes, and made a face. "Please never say you thought I wanted Rock. What did you take me for?"

He shook his head, and let out an almost soundless laugh, and she gave in at the sound of it, her face morphing back into a smile. "Yes. I want you. Just you."

The blush was back, but he kept eye contact this time. "I want to help, as much as I can, with everything. I think… I think we could make something good together.

She nodded, and gave into the impulse to hug him, her arms tightening around him as she reveled in the fact that she could.

She got her moment, sort of, as they stood in the dimming light, her head tucked into his chest, and his chin resting against it, the wind a soft whisper around them. She let her mind wander briefly to the future, and the fact that if the present was any indication it was going to be interesting. Of course by interesting she meant it would be a mess, and they would have mishaps, and both of them seemed to have no clue how to go about it, but they would learn, and imperfect as it might be, it would be more than enough.


End file.
